Trials and Tribulations
by Leonaria Dragonbane
Summary: Ok!  back by popular demand,and the agonizing process that is Victor Creed in my brain, the sequel to Dictation.  Bronwyn faces an unlikely workplace romance,and Creed for a boss.  Can her world get any worse.
1. Chapter 1

Trials and Tribulations

I don't own them, Bronwyn Tillman and Daniel Varden are all mine. Most of the rest belong to Marvel Comics – and if there are any that don't – and don't belong to anyone else, I guess they are mine too.

**A/N Ok at one point I realized that Victor Creed has to have some way of laundering all that money he makes on illegal assassination and terrorism, and since the comics have him shown in a more traditional business environment on several occasions, I concocted this whole 'alternate universe' of him in a business world. As far as I know Creed Industries doesn't exist in the Marvel Universe but I think it should.**

**A/N I didn't plan on doing a sequel but something about Daniel and Bronwyn struck me as needing more – along with Bronwyn and Victor, so here it is the sequel to Dictation.**

The office was quiet. Victor and Daniel had been gone for a month. She basically sat in the office all day, answered his phone and took messages which she forwarded to Daniel's email account. Logan wasn't grumbling as much – especially since he put the ring on Marie's hand. It seemed Kitty was getting Marie's room, since Logan couldn't leave the mansion, so Marie was moving back.

Bron groaned as the phone rang again.

"Mr. Creed's office." She answered.

"Bron, it's Daniel, how are things going?"

"Great, where are you – or can you tell me?"

"Actually we are at Heathrow, heading back to New York. It seems he left some work unfinished, so we'll be back for a couple weeks."

"I'll get the office ready – and alert personnel."

"Good idea – I'm not sure exactly what's going on, he's keeping it from me."

"That's not good." She was worried now.

"I don't think it's bad, just a secret."

"Are there any department heads I need to alert?"

"Not that he's told me about."

"Will you be in the office tomorrow morning?"

"We'll both be there." His voice was light and she grinned. She'd missed him, her partner in crime. Between the two of them, they kept Sabretooth on the straight and narrow. She couldn't keep the grin off her face as she straightened up the outer office. No one had been inside Mr. Creed's office since he left, and she glanced inside to see if she needed to call housekeeping. The light coating of dust needed to be cleared before morning so she picked up the phone and ordered a cleaning team.

Daniel's desk was clear – but his inbox was full, she quickly sorted it so that he could get anything that Mr. Creed needed to him at once. She checked the coffee supplies, and made sure Mr. Creed's cups were clean and ready for use. Things were going to get busy again. She was still grinning like an idiot when she finally made it home that night, her small purchases for the next morning seeming to weigh nothing at all.

"What are YOU grinning about?" Logan grumbled as he helped Marie pack another load for the mansion.

"Dan…errr Mr. Creed and Mr. Varden will be back tomorrow."

"Dan…Who the fuck is Dan?"

"Mr. Varden." She grinned.

"Who the fuck is that?"

"Sabretooth's personal assistant." She snapped.

"And you have a thing for him? He works for fucking SABRETOOTH – HELLO! Am I the only one to see a problem with this?"

"I work for Sabretooth, Logan, and Mr. Varden is a nice man, and he makes me laugh, and makes it a hell of a lot easier to work for Sabretooth – alright. I like him – I don't have a THING for him, I just LIKE HIM!" She slammed her bedroom door, almost glad he and Marie were going back to the mansion this weekend. Kitty would be a much easier roommate to deal with.

The faint knock on her door made her turn and yank it open.

"AND ANOTHER THING…."

"What'd I do?" Jubilee asked a pout on her face.

"Nothing – just Logan giving me hell again."

"So Dan's coming back?"

"Yeah."

"I kinda figured something was up when you stopped meeting us for lunch."

"Nothing's up, he and I just took a couple working lunches, that's all."

"Sure…that's why you bought the new suit and shoes right before he left."

"I bought them because Mr. Creed is still on my ass about my wardrobe."

"Sure you did, that's why you are grinning like a lunatic, and you have a box of Daniel's favorite coffee supplies and Godiva chocolates in the bag."

"You can smell Godiva a mile away."

"Come on – you LIKE him. I was kinda scared you'd go for Creed – and that would be WEIRD, but I met him, and I like Varden."

"I don't LIKE him – I like him."

"SURE!"

Bron blushed and shoved Jubes out of her room. She had to decide what she was wearing tomorrow; she didn't want to disappoint Mr. Creed and his nit picky attitude towards her wardrobe. She grabbed the pale blue shirt that Varden told her brought out her eyes, and dug out the new pinstripe suit with the matching stripe. She even had a pair of navy pumps she'd just bought that would go with the outfit.

She was trying to decide between straightening her hair, or putting it up in a French knot when Kitty barged into the room

"You are SICK! You know that."

"What?"

"Everyone saw you buying coffee supplies and chocolates, and Peter said he has it on good authority that Creed's coming back to New York tomorrow."

"It's for DANIEL! God! Creed can suck my big toe." Bron groaned. It was all starting again. Everyone STILL thought she and Creed were sleeping together – he was probably the last – okay not the LAST man on Earth she'd sleep with – but close.

"Who the hell is Daniel?" Kitty said, dropping onto the bed, and glaring at her clothing preparations for the next morning.

"VARDEN! Daniel Varden, the guy I work with, sheish…get your minds out of the gutter people." Bron griped, grabbing the silk shirt from Kitty and hanging it back up with the suit.

"Nice suit."

"I like it – so does Daniel." Bron blushed as she said it. Shit – maybe she DID have a thing for him. Workplace romances never worked out for her – but he was so sweet, and funny, and artistic…okay she had a thing for him.

"Damn." She sat on the bed next to Kitty.

"What?"

"I have a thing for him."

"Creed?" Kitty glared at her.

"Varden. God can't you follow a conversation?"

"So you really have a thing for him – a middle aged male secretary?"

"He's not a secretary – he's a personal assistant – and he's not THAT old." Bron said.

"OH God this is almost WORSE than you having a thing for Creed!" Kitty said.

"Shut UP! And I thought it would be easier with YOU for a roommate!" Bron groaned. Jubilee and Kitty would be right in the middle of her personal life – what little bit of one she had. She was beginning to wonder if she could convince them both to move back to the mansion and just leave her the apartment to herself.


	2. Chapter 2

Trials and Tribulations

I don't own them, Bronwyn Tillman and Daniel Varden are all mine. Most of the rest belong to Marvel Comics – and if there are any that don't – and don't belong to anyone else, I guess they are mine too.

**A/N Ok at one point I realized that Victor Creed has to have some way of laundering all that money he makes on illegal assassination and terrorism, and since the comics have him shown in a more traditional business environment on several occasions, I concocted this whole 'alternate universe' of him in a business world. As far as I know Creed Industries doesn't exist in the Marvel Universe but I think it should.**

**A/N I didn't plan on doing a sequel but something about Daniel and Bronwyn struck me as needing more – along with Bronwyn and Victor, so here it is the sequel to Dictation.**

Chapter 2

Everything was set. The little gold box was sitting on his desk, the new coffee supplies were near his cup, Mr. Creed's coffee was brewed and she was just waiting on him to walk in the main doors of the building before making his first cup. She was trying not to be nervous, but she wasn't succeeding very well. The cleaning crew had the executive offices sparkling, and she really wasn't in the mood for one of Victor's temper tantrums.

She saw them come in the door on the security camera and quickly made his coffee and set it on his desk, and was standing at hers when the elevator doors opened.

"…see accounting about those expense reports. I don't like where this is going. I don't like being called back from WORK to have to straighten out a mess…Morning Bron…in the office." He was snarling at Varden as he walked by.

"Good Morning, Mr. Creed." Varden shot her a look of abject terror and she had to keep from giggling.

"Get Jenkins up here NOW!" He shouted at Varden before slamming his office door.

"Well he's in a snit." She muttered.

"Yeah – tell me about it. I've had that all the way from London." Daniel snapped pointing almost violently at the closed executive door.

"What's going on?"

"Some screw up in accounting…I have no idea. I handle his OTHER business needs on the road, if you know what I mean."

"That reminds me – he'll be getting an invitation to the wedding – Logan thinks it's a good joke, but PLEASE keep him away."

"Wedding?"

"Logan proposed to Marie."

"Really…are we doing lunch?"

"Unless he has you running ragged."

Daniel grinned at her, and then grinned even wider at the box on his desk.

"Godiva's – I KNOW Mr. Creed didn't think of that."

"I figured if he was in a really bad mood you'd need chocolate."

They laughed…and then the roar came from the office.

"Back to work." They said in unison, it felt good having him back at his desk.

XXXXXXXXXX

He watched them laughing in the outer office. Didn't they know he knew – that they were more than friends – and much less than lovers. He watched her laughing, his anger building. She'd turned him down – threatened to QUIT, and now she was flirting with Daniel – DANIEL! His mousy annoying obnoxious middle aged personal assistant and his fiery secretary had eyes only for Varden of all people.

He was going to have to break in a new personal assistant, that was all there was to it. He couldn't ask Daniel to keep risking his neck – not when he knew just how much the man cared about her. He just wasn't ready to admit defeat just yet. HE still called the shots – he could nip this in the bud, or push the two of them together.

"Damn it….VARDEN!" He roared.

"Yes Mr. Creed."

"Get your pad I have some dictation, and where's Jenkins?"

"He's on his way."

"Good I want those reports on my desk, YESTERDAY!" Varden ducked out of the office and Victor prepared for a busy day of managing his company. He forced the jealousy down, and concentrated on work.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

He was a bear all day, and Bron was glad when 4:30 came along and she could shut down the computer and head out. Daniel smiled at her as she left and she hoped the blush didn't show until she was in the elevator. She didn't know why she was reacting like this, it was just Varden, but she suddenly felt like a shy teenager with a crush.

She tried to hail a cab outside the building but for some reason they were scarce today. She groaned at the idea of taking the subway – or walking.

She heard a sharp whistle behind her and a cab pulled to the curb.

"Heading my way?" Daniel said behind her. She grinned at him as he held the door open for her.

"Thanks. I thought you lived at Mr. Creed's penthouse."

"I do – I saw you trying to get a cab and I don't mind paying the extra fare."

"Thanks."

"Are you doing anything – later?"

"No – does he need me for anything tonight? Is that why you followed me down?"

"NO! I – never mind." He looked out the window as the cab moved slowly through traffic.

"I didn't have any plans, if there's something..."

"Forget it." He muttered quietly.

"Daniel?"

"I was...never mind."

"What is it?"

"Would...are you doing anything for dinner?"

"No – I was going back to the apartment and warming up leftovers."

"I know this place, want to go get dinner?"

"Are you asking me out?"

"N...yeah." She suddenly felt like her face was as red as his.

"Sure."

"Sure?"

"Sure."

He leaned up and gave the cabbie the new address.

He held the door open for her when they got there, held her chair for her as she sat down, and they managed small talk over the menu and ordering before he exploded.

"I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"I shouldn't have done this – I mean I know what you told Vic – Mr. Creed – about not wanting to mess up the job."

"I won't say anything if you don't." She teased.

"He'll know – he always does." Daniel was serious.

"Are you worried about Mr. Creed?"

"I just know...I...Bron I..."

"Daniel? Relax, I like you, okay."

"You do?"

"Yeah – I do."

"I've never – I mean I haven't been on a date since I was in high school." He laughed.

"Is this a date?" She asked, half teasing.

"Is it?" He looked terrified.

"Well, I'm counting it as one."

"Good." He heaved a sigh of relief.

They sat there a few minutes as the waiter brought dinner and they started to eat. Silence kept dragging on and she finally couldn't take it anymore.

"Will you relax. It's just me."

"I have no idea what to say to you?"

"Tell me about Daniel. How'd you start working for Creed?"

"That's almost a funny story." He laughed. "I was a kid, barely out of high school, I was on the streets. My mom didn't have the money to take care of me, my dad took off when I was a baby. Anyway, I tried to pick his pocket – actually I DID pick his pocket. I saw this guy in an expensive suit and saw a mark, he caught me – and saw potential. I'm kinda grateful he didn't kill me."

Bron laughed – and then paused. This was Sabretooth they were talking about.

"Yeah – I told you, almost funny." They both laughed at that.

They both relaxed after that, he regaled her with stories of working with Sabretooth in the field. She'd never heard some of those stories from the other side, and she found herself laughing at the antics of her friends. She ended up with quite a bit of dirt – especially on Logan and after dinner he called them a cab and escorted her home.

"I'll see you in the morning." Daniel said, as he leaned over and brushed her cheek with his lips.

"See you in the morning." She smiled. She had no idea how she was going to keep Mr. Creed from knowing – she was walking on air.

XXXXXXXXXX

The penthouse was dark when he got home. He hoped Victor was out somewhere, he didn't want to answer any questions. He dropped his keys on the table next to the door.

"How was the date?"

SHIT! He was sitting there in the dark, and Daniel could smell the scotch and the cigars.

"What date?"

"Don't even try. I can smell her on you."

"We shared a cab." Daniel clicked on the light. Victor was in his favorite chair, a half empty bottle of scotch – the good scotch which meant he'd gone through the bad stuff in the bar first – and three stubbed out cubans.

"Bullshit – you went to dinner – Frizoli's by the scent, then took her back to her place, did you kiss her?"

"No."

"Dumb ass."

"What?"

"You are in love with her, asshole, you should at least kiss her."

"You're drunk."

"Not by a long shot – but I'm getting there."

"I'm going to bed."

"It's about damned time, you know."

"What?"

"That you found a girl – and Bron's one of the best. At least I don't have to worry about who's schtuping the secretary."

"I'm not schtuping the secretary."

"Not yet, but you will be."

"Says who?"

"The fact that you are sporting a raging hard on under your coat, and I can smell just how aroused she was on you."

"She was." He just stared at his boss.

"If she isn't in love with you – she's damned close, lucky bastard."

"Just because you struck out..."

"I didn't strike out. We agreed that I needed her in the office more than I needed her in my bed."

"You struck out." Daniel had lived with the man for almost twenty years, as his right arm, his clean up man, and his personal assistant, he just wasn't afraid of him anymore.

"Okay – I struck out, don't fuck up like I did."

"What does that mean?"

"You hurt her, I'll kill you Daniel." It was said coldly, and for the first time in almost ten years he'd felt a chill of fear at something Victor said to him.

"You're in love with her?"

"I don't know what that word means – but you are, and do, and she deserves someone who does."

"Fuck, Vic." Daniel said, dropping into the chair next to him and pouring himself a glass of scotch.

"What?"

"We're both in love with the same woman."

"Why's that bad? With both of us to take care of her, she won't ever get hurt."

"But one of us will."

"Nope – it's you she wants, why I ain't sure, but it is, and I ain't standin' in the way.

He drained the glass in his hand and stubbed out the cigar he had lit before standing up and walking toward his room.

"Just don't bring her here – I don't think I could take that." Daniel just nodded. This mess couldn't get much worse.


	3. Chapter 3

Trials and Tribulations

I don't own them, Bronwyn Tillman and Daniel Varden are all mine. Most of the rest belong to Marvel Comics – and if there are any that don't – and don't belong to anyone else, I guess they are mine too.

**A/N Ok at one point I realized that Victor Creed has to have some way of laundering all that money he makes on illegal assassination and terrorism, and since the comics have him shown in a more traditional business environment on several occasions, I concocted this whole 'alternate universe' of him in a business world. As far as I know Creed Industries doesn't exist in the Marvel Universe but I think it should.**

**A/N I didn't plan on doing a sequel but something about Daniel and Bronwyn struck me as needing more – along with Bronwyn and Victor, so here it is the sequel to Dictation.**

Chapter 3

They'd been out several times after work, and she was beginning to wonder if he might really be the one. She couldn't believe how comfortable she was with him. The fact that Jubes and Kitty liked him – and didn't mind when she asked him to stay the night was a definite plus.

They were curled up in her bed, her head resting on his chest. He'd surprised her, and she wasn't complaining.

"Bron, I love you." He whispered.

"Daniel?"

"I don't expect you to say anything, I just wanted you to know I'm serious about this, about us. I honestly thought I'd never meet anyone, that I'd spend my life chasing around after Vic, cleaning up his messes. You shocked me, and I'm not going to let you slip through my fingers."

"I don't plan on it – slipping through your fingers that is. I can't say I absolutely feel the same way – but I can't say I can't either. I need a little more time, but I can definitely say I am definitely heading that way." 

"Definitely?"

"Definitely." She said.

"That's good enough for me – for now." He whispered against her hair. Creed had been crabby at the office, but she'd come to expect that. She didn't know how he felt about his assistant and his secretary dating, and she thought he probably thought she was some kind of hypocrite for dating Daniel and turning him down.

Daniel left after two, he still had to get back to the penthouse and get ready for work tomorrow, and she was afraid things were going to explode in her face. She slept fitfully, before the alarm went off.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Do you mind showering before you come home." Victor said as he walked in the door.

"Yeah, I mind. I like smelling her on me." He snapped at his boss.

"This isn't going to work, Daniel."

"I know."

"What are you planning?"

"I'm planning on asking her to marry me, got a problem with that?"

"No. But you ain't workin with me anymore if you do."

"What?"

"I ain't gonna put you in danger, not with a girl at home – not with THAT girl at home." 

"You're firing me?"

"No – I'm promoting you. Vice President of Operations, but you'll have to hire your own secretary."

"Not until I can find a replacement, I'm not leaving you with your back open, Vic."

"I'm retiring, remember."

"I know – but you're still gonna need a good assistant, and one that won't make moves on my wife." Victor actually laughed at that.

"How long do you think that will take?"

"A year – maybe less to find someone and get them trained."

"Okay – you have a year, and I get to give the bride away."

"You'll have to talk to her about that."

XXXXXXXXX

Victor growled as Daniel walked down the hallway toward his room. He could smell them, both of them and it was driving him insane. She smelled so good – Daniel came in every time they were together and smelled like her – her passion, her need, and a part of Victor screamed to meet that need.

He'd told Daniel not to bring her to the penthouse, but it was worse smelling her all over him when he walked in the door. Retirement was going to be torture, but she deserved to be happy, and she loved him. She practically glowed with it when he saw her at the office. He wanted to just drag her into his office, and show her exactly how much HE needed her, but he knew exactly where that look was directed, and it wasn't the executive office. They would whisper and slip away when they thought he wasn't looking for just a moment of privacy. He felt like he was impaled on his own claws, ripping him to shreds, and he had to just sit there and watch. He sat there, because every once in a while she'd throw him a glance, just a glance, that said thank you, and he was living for those glances.

She had no idea he was hurting, he knew she could, he knew if she wanted to, she could drop her shields and everything would be out in the open, but she didn't want to know, his reputation kept him safe from her powers, and he was trying to decide if it was going to be worth it, giving up that reputation.

He took another drink from his glass. Scotch was his new best friend, without it he wasn't able to function. It numbed the pain, let him sleep so he could face her – face them every morning. This was killing him, slowly, and he didn't think that was possible.

Daniel came out of the back of the penthouse.

"Think she'll like it?" He asked a black velvet box in his hand, the stone picking up even the faint light in the room.

"If she doesn't, she's stupid, and Bron isn't stupid."

"Vic, I don't like this, you…"

"I want what's best for Bron, and that's not me."

"Victor, this isn't fair. You…"

"Shut up, take her out tomorrow and propose damn it." He stormed back to his room, and slammed the door.

He'd picked that kid up off the street, taught him everything he knew. He'd trusted Daniel with his back, with his money, with his reputation, with setting up his jobs. Daniel knew where all the skeletons were buried – hell he'd buried them himself, and now he trusted him with the one thing he valued more than anything else, the woman Victor loved.

It killed something inside him to admit it, even in the darkness of his own room. He loved her, he needed her, and her happiness was the most important thing to him, and Daniel made her happy, so Victor was going to make sure that she was happy.

XXXXXXXXX

She was waiting in the corporate cafeteria. Daniel was supposed to join her for lunch, but he was late. Victor must have had something come up. She shrugged, it wasn't unusual, so she just started her meal without him.

"Sorry I'm late, I forgot to grab something." He said as he sat down with his tray.

"No problem. Are we doing anything tonight?"

"Actually, I was thinking about renting some movies and crashing on your couch." He grinned.

"Now that sounds like a plan." She grinned back, him crashing on the couch usually ended up with both of them crashed in her bed.

"There's something I need your opinion on. There's this girl…"

"Daniel?"

"And I want to make sure she'll like something before I give it to her."

"I'm sure she'll like it."

"She hasn't seen it yet, and I'm just not sure." He was acting cagey, he never acted cagey.

"So what is it?"

He held out his hand, inside was a small ring and she gasped.

"Will you marry me?"

"Daniel…yes." She couldn't keep the tears from her eyes. She'd been afraid to say it, but she loved him so much it was scary. "I love you."

"I love you too." He whispered as he slipped the ring onto her finger. "Vic knows – I told him last night."

"What does that mean?"

"Well – I have one year to find my replacement."

"He's FIRING you!" She was pissed.

"No – he's promoting me – VP of Operations."

"What – that's…" 

"My job, I just wouldn't let him give me the title before, it's actually a pay cut, but I think I can handle it."

"Really?"

"He doesn't want me traveling with him anymore; he says you are not going to be left alone, worrying about me watching his back."

"So do you have anyone in mind?"

"No – but I'm gonna start looking."

She smiled, and he took her hand across the table.

"So where – exactly - are we going to live. I don't think Kitty and Jubes will mind, but I'm starting to get the 'earplugs in the morning' looks we gave Marie and Logan."

"I was thinking a house in the Hamptons – or maybe out in Westchester or something."

"Can we afford a house?"

"Bron, we can afford it, trust me." He grinned at her. They carried their trays to the disposal and slipped into the elevator to the top floor. It was empty, and he pulled her against him as the doors shut.

"Can I kiss my fiancé?"

"Absolutely."


	4. Chapter 4

Trials and Tribulations

I don't own them, Bronwyn Tillman and Daniel Varden are all mine. Most of the rest belong to Marvel Comics – and if there are any that don't – and don't belong to anyone else, I guess they are mine too.

**A/N Ok at one point I realized that Victor Creed has to have some way of laundering all that money he makes on illegal assassination and terrorism, and since the comics have him shown in a more traditional business environment on several occasions, I concocted this whole 'alternate universe' of him in a business world. As far as I know Creed Industries doesn't exist in the Marvel Universe but I think it should.**

**A/N I didn't plan on doing a sequel but something about Daniel and Bronwyn struck me as needing more – along with Bronwyn and Victor, so here it is the sequel to Dictation.**

Chapter 4

She was going insane. The wedding was a little over one week away, she was trying to help Daniel break in the new assistant, and help him find him a secretary that she didn't want to kill on sight, along with keeping up with Victor's crazy schedule and escalating demands on her time. She had a rehearsal dinner tomorrow night, the church was booked for next Saturday and her dress STILL wasn't fitted properly.

Between the wedding and work she was getting about three hours of sleep a night, and hadn't seen Daniel except at work in almost two weeks. He was out house shopping every night, trying to find something so they'd have someplace after the wedding. He'd found three and put a bid in on one yesterday and was waiting to see if they were accepted so he could get the down payment made.

He grinned at her across the office, and she smiled back. She couldn't believe this was really happening to her, she'd never thought she'd find anyone, not like him. He was romantic, and funny, and smart, and solid and dependable. She knew she never had to worry about him running off into danger or waiting on a phone call because he was late coming home. Her mother had lived with that her entire life, and that call had come.

Bron had been thirteen when that call came – when her father didn't make it home from his shift. She and her mother had sat in the emergency room, but he never regained consciousness. He'd been shot on a drug bust, and they never got to say goodbye. It had been in that emergency room that her mutation had manifested enough for her to realize she had a problem and not long after the funeral that she'd gone to Xavier's for school. A single bullet had changed her life once, and she was so glad she didn't have to worry about that. One more week, and he'd be a boring Vice President of Creed Industries, he wouldn't even be traveling with Victor anymore, which made her very happy.

"Hey, Vic needs me for an errand this evening, and then I'll be over to finish up plans for the dinner tomorrow." Daniel said, as he brushed her cheek with his lips.

"See you then." She grinned, everything was crazy, but she couldn't be happier. She shut off her computer for the day and headed for the elevator.

XXXXXXXXXX

He slammed the phone down. Leave it to Marcus to wait until the last damned minute to call in a favor. He was quitting, he'd told him that last month. He was going to run the company, maybe do some work with Magneto, but he was tired of the rat race, tired of blood and gore and fighting all the time. After nearly one hundred and sixty years, even HE needed a break from killing. Two or three decades of boredom should have him ready to work again, but for now, he was just flat burned out.

He just didn't trust the new kid, not on something like this. He hated dragging Daniel away now, the wedding was just one week away, but he needed him on this.

"VARDEN!"

"Yes boss." He said. Victor could smell Bronwyn on him and he cringed. He was really looking forward to the kid moving out – not kid, Daniel was nearing forty-five.

"Marcus called."

"What did that SOB want?" Daniel asked as he closed the office door. He didn't want Bronwyn overhearing this.

"He's calling in that last favor we owe him."

"Damn."

"Yeah. Athens."

"When?"

"Tonight."

"No fucking way – I'll miss the rehearsal dinner."

"I don't trust the kid; he's too green, not for something like this."

"You told him you were quitting, right?"

"Yeah – but we still owed him. I made sure he knew this was the last time – for both of us, it clears our debts for good."'

"Bron's gonna KILL me."

"I know. I can do it alone."

"Like HELL! You need me, boss and you know it, Marcus always lands us in a mess."

"I can take the kid, I'll be okay. I don't even know what I was thinking asking you." He said.

"I'm in. I'll explain it to her, make sure she understands that this is it, the last one."

"Daniel, no – I'll take the kid."

"And have you get the kid killed and me have to delay the wedding until I can find another one NO FUCKING WAY, partner, I'm getting married on Saturday."

Victor glared at him, trying to hide the sudden cold fist that gripped him. He didn't like this job, didn't like it one bit, and he seriously considered just leaving Daniel here, but no one had his back like Dan, and this job called for a second.

"You keep your head and your ass down; I am NOT coming home without you." He snarled at his partner.

"I always do, partner, I always do."

"Did you get that shit taken care of last week, the legal stuff?"

"Yes. I got a will made out; everything goes to Bron if anything happens to me."

"Good…"

"Boss…there's something else. IF and that's a big if, but if something happens to me, and I don't just mean this job, but if anything happens to me, I want you to look after her."

"Don't…"

"Vic – you're the only one that can. You love her – I think more than I do sometimes – and I know you'll take care of her."

"You're asking a hell of a lot for a dumb kid from the Bronx."

"Yeah – a dumb kid that helped you build this empire – and owns almost half of it." Daniel grinned. "Promise me, boss."

"I can't."

"Promise or I'm not going."

"Dumb ass – I don't want you to go."

"Promise." He flinched at the look in Daniel's face.

"You have my word, if anything ever happens to you, I'll take care of her."

"Thanks."

XXXXXXXXXX

She picked up the phone. Marie and Jubilee and Kitty were sorting place tags for the dinner tomorrow. Kurt was coming in from Germany to perform the ceremony and since Victor was acting as the father of the bride, they didn't want him sitting at any table that might cause a fight in the middle of the dinner.

"Hey, I won't be by tonight." Daniel said.

"WHAT!"

"Vic and I have to make an emergency run to Athens."

"We don't have an office in Athens." She snapped.

"I know. It's the last one, Baby. No more jobs after this one. The last favor I owe getting paid off, so we can start fresh."

"Daniel…"

"Baby, this is it. I'll be home by Tuesday, but we'll miss the dinner tomorrow."

"Oh NO! You are NOT missing the dinner. I'll kill you both."

"I don't want to go, but I don't want anything to bite us in the ass after we're married either." He said softly.

"Fine – but if you don't come back I'm killing both of you – and tell Creed I said so."

"I will. I love you. See you Tuesday."


	5. Chapter 5

Trials and Tribulations

I don't own them, Bronwyn Tillman and Daniel Varden are all mine. Most of the rest belong to Marvel Comics – and if there are any that don't – and don't belong to anyone else, I guess they are mine too.

**A/N Ok at one point I realized that Victor Creed has to have some way of laundering all that money he makes on illegal assassination and terrorism, and since the comics have him shown in a more traditional business environment on several occasions, I concocted this whole 'alternate universe' of him in a business world. As far as I know Creed Industries doesn't exist in the Marvel Universe but I think it should.**

**A/N I didn't plan on doing a sequel but something about Daniel and Bronwyn struck me as needing more – along with Bronwyn and Victor, so here it is the sequel to Dictation.**

Chapter 5

Victor leaned back in the chair. His private jet was designed for his comfort, oversized seating, wireless satellite internet access, satellite phone access; he didn't have to stop working just because he was in the air. He could hear Daniel in the back of the plane, loading up what they were going to need for this job, and he winced. Victor should have refused to allow him to come. He had a family now, someone that would miss him if he were gone, and that always made a man think twice, and in a dangerous situation thinking once could get you killed.

Victor just had a bad feeling about this job all the way around. If it wasn't Marcus, and it wasn't paying off the last of an old debt, he would have turned it down, but he always paid his debts.

"Ok boss, everything's packed and ready." Daniel said as he dropped into the seat next to Victor. They both heard a chuckle from the front of the plane.

"I hope this is just some elaborate bachelor party." Mortimer quipped from the pilot's seat.

"Shut the fuck up, Toad." Victor grumbled.

"Sure thing." He'd hired Toad as his pilot five years ago, more as a joke than anything else. Mortimer had been out of work, and come to him looking for a job. He'd laughed and said he was retiring and the only positions he had were with his company. Mort had jumped on the corporate pilot job, and Victor hadn't regretted it since.

"So we go in, Marcus has done all the prelim, so we just have to make sure the mark is there and on time, take him and his family out, and get the flock out of Dodge." Daniel said, as he looked over the information Marcus had sent over via encrypted fax this afternoon.

"Pretty much."

"You need me on point, or covering the exit?"

"I need you on point, make sure nothing interrupts me, no one sees either of us." Daniel nodded. Victor glanced over and saw the slight bulge from the shoulder holster. At least he didn't have to worry that Bronwyn would ever be unprotected, not with Daniel at her side. He was the best backup man in the business. Victor had trained him, he could shoot any weapon made, use just about any blade, his hands were deadlier empty than with a weapon in them, and he was Mr. Invisible, he could blend in to any situation and no one would ever notice him.

He was also the only man Victor had ever given the title 'friend' and that was worrying him just a bit. Victor never let himself care about anyone, and it had taken years – and Daniel getting shot once – to realize that he actually cared about the kid. Daniel had been working for him for six years, still didn't understand about Victor's mutation, and had jumped in front of a bullet intended for Victor. After that, Victor had relaxed around the kid. If a man would take a bullet for you, you didn't have to watch your back.

Somehow the kid had wormed his way in, and the two had become more than just partners. Daniel had told him about his ideas for investing his percent of the money they were making, and it actually sounded good to Victor so they'd started a little business to launder the money for investment. That little business, one secretary and two accountants had grown into one of the largest investment firms in New York, Creed Industries, with over three thousand employees, and accounts all over the world. Daniel was a wiz at business, and as the silent partner in Creed Industries, helped make most of the corporate decisions.

Victor wondered if Bronwyn knew she was more Daniel's secretary than his. Most of the 'dictation' she typed was notes from meetings between the partners, not Victor's alone. Daniel had always insisted on appearing invisible, wouldn't let Victor name him as a partner on any of the documents for the corporation. He said it made it harder to do his job as Victor's backup man, if he had to sit for cover shots for Forbes.

"What's on your mind, boss?"

"Just thinking about the business, you finally gonna come out of the closet as my partner once you and Bron are settled?"

"I don't know. VP of Operations sounds fine to me."

"Damn it Dan, you are the real brains behind this leviathan. You should get the credit."

"No. I've gotten too used to being in the background. I'd rather just have a quiet life with Bron, and stay silent partner."

"Your call. You got a vest on?"

"Yes. You've been making me wear one all year."

"I DON'T want to have to face your fiancé if anything happens." Victor grumbled.

"You don't want to face her, period." Daniel snapped back.

"We agreed, Bron was off limits."

"I'm not talking about her – I'm talking about you. Are you going to be able to handle this – seeing us every day?"

"I'll get by. I'm thinking about taking the Stark approach, find me a bunch of gold diggers ta fuck when I want, and just enjoy the playboy life for a while."

"Bullshit."

"I'll heal – it's what I do." Victor said.

"There's still time, I can get the fuck out of the way boss." Daniel said, but Victor could smell his pain, he knew exactly what the kid was offering, and for a split second was tempted.

"No…she loves you, that's the end of that discussion. Even if you got out of the way, she'd never turn ta me. No. She's your girl now."

"Boss, I know you have a claim on her."

"No. I tried, once, but I respect her too damned much."

"No you don't, you love her too damned much." Daniel said.

"Who gave you the right to pry into my life?" Victor growled.

'You did."

"Well butt the fuck out. Marry our girl – your girl, and forget about me. I'll be fine."

Daniel didn't say another word until the plane set down in the Athenian airport.

XXXXXXXXX

She came back into the apartment. Marie, Kitty, Jubilee and Storm were with her. They'd all agreed to cancel the dinner and have a girl's night instead. They could do the rehearsal next week, when Daniel and Victor got back. There was a light blinking on the phone base and she called to check voicemail.

"Hey Baby, we just landed in Athens, I'll call you before we head back. This looks it won't take that long, and I should be home on Tuesday like I said. I love you." She heard Victor in the background growling and telling him to 'hurry the fuck up.'

"Bron, are you alright." Marie asked.

"Yeah – I just miss him."

"One more week and you'll be wishin he'd take off for a couple days ta keep from drivin ya nuts." Marie grumbled. They all laughed. The continued tension between Logan and Marie, even after the wedding – and a baby, was a running joke at the mansion. No one ever doubted for a second that they didn't completely adore each other, but their fights were more earth shattering than Hiroshima and Nagasaki combined.

"Well – you're away from him tonight."

"No Ah'm not, he's camped out downstairs – ta make sure we're safe."

"Where's the baby?"

"With him."

"I'd KILL Daniel."

"I ain't got that luxury. All that metal on his skull jest makes him more stubborn."

"Go get that baby – she's a girl so she can come up; if he wants to sleep in the truck that's his business." Kitty snapped.

Marie laughed and ran out the door and Bron doubted they'd see her again for a while.

"So how are things going at work?" Storm asked as she set up the sandwich tray and all the junk they'd bought to snack on.

"Fine; Daniel's promotion goes through next week, he found Victor another assistant, and he's getting him broken in. This is his last trip as Victor's assistant."

Storm just shook her head. "I still can't get used to you calling him Victor."

"Well – I've worked for him for a year, I can't still call him Mr. Creed, and asshole doesn't go over very well at the office." They all laughed at that.

She glanced around the apartment. She'd started packing boxes, in case they got word on the house, but the plan right now was for Daniel to move in here until they got the house situation taken care of.

XXXXXXXXX

Victor pulled his head out from under the water spigot and watched as Daniel scrubbed his hands, making sure every drop of blood was cleaned off. The job hadn't gone as smoothly as Marcus said – but they never did. Daniel had ended up having to take out two body guards that weren't in the report so disposal was six bodies instead of four. Luckily they were in Athens, so disposal wasn't that difficult, even when the body count got high.

"You good?" Daniel asked him.

"Yeah, I'm getting too old for this shit." He said, laughing.

"No you're not, boss. You'll never get too old for this shit." Daniel grinned.

"Does Bron know just how much you enjoy your work?"

"Not this part, no." Daniel grinned. "But as of right now, I'm retired." They both laughed.

"Toad's got the plane fired up and ready to go. We can be back by morning." Victor grinned.

"Let's get out of here – seeing my girl a day early won't hurt my feelings a bit." Daniel grinned back.

The two men slipped out of the disposable clothes they'd brought with them and changed back into the corporate uniform they would be wearing from now on. Victor rolled up his leather uniform and stuffed it into the bottom of his bag, he wouldn't be digging that out for several years, and wasn't entirely certain he was sorry to see it disappear under the rest of his gear. Daniel dropped his jeans and T-shirt into the barrel and watched them burn, all traces of blood and evidence of him going up in smoke. When the fire burned out, they dumped the barrel and sifted through for any hard bits in the ash and packed those into a separate bag to be dumped over the Atlantic on the way back.

"So – you told her where you're going for the honeymoon yet?" Victor asked.

"Nope – gonna be a surprise." She'd always wanted to go to New Zealand, and he'd even arranged for her to visit the sets of a few movies being filmed down there. She was going to love it, and Victor almost wished he could go along.

They ducked from shadow to shadow until they found a main street and made it to a hotel. They hailed a cab and Daniel instructed the driver to take them to the airport. His language skills hadn't hurt over the years. He'd picked up languages quickly as a kid, and kept his hand in. Victor spoke more than a few himself, but Daniel's skill surpassed his. He really admired the human, Daniel had no mutation that they'd been able to discover, he was just a very talented individual.

They grabbed their bags at the airport and started up the stairs to the plane.

"So – this is it?" Daniel said.

"Yep – the only time we'll be flying anymore will be for business meetings. I've told Toad to sterilize the jet, get rid of all traces of what we've been doing, from now on, it's all legit." Victor said as he followed Daniel up the ramp. Their heads were even, although Daniel was two steps up from him when he heard the shot.

He grabbed Daniel and covered him with his body as the bullet tore through his chest, puncturing his heart. He blacked out.

He couldn't have been out long but it had been long enough for Toad to get them into the plane, and taxi to the runway as if nothing had happened, and get them into the air. Victor rolled over, groaning and stopped. He could hear the labored breathing and stuttering heartbeat of the man next to him.

"DANIEL!"

He looked over. The bullet had gone through him, under the edge of Daniel's vest and was somewhere inside the other man's body.

"Boss?"

"Don't try to talk." Victor said, searching the plane for the first aid kit.

"Boss – it's no good."

"Don't say that. Toad – get us on the ground, and to a hospital NOW!"

"I can't, boss. Nearest airport is Venice, and they're turning away planes."

"What?"

"That was a terrorist attack; I got us off the ground right before the terminal blew up."

"SHIT!"

"Boss – you promised." Daniel said, gripping his hand as he tried to find where the bullet had lodged.

"Shut up, kid. I'm getting you home – alive." Victor snarled.

"No…I've done it enough, I know…" His breathing was getting even more labored, and Victor heard his heart stutter again before picking up for a few more beats.

"Stay with me, kid." Victor growled.

"Boss – tell Bron I love her." He whispered.

"Tell her your damned self."

"Boss – you promised…tell her I love her, I'll always be with her." He heard the stutter again, but this time it didn't pick back up. He heard the hiss as his last breath eased out of his lungs and Victor roared.

"Creed?" Toad said from the cockpit.

"Forget the hospital – just get us to New York." He growled, as he laid Daniel's head in his lap. He looked down at the man who had guarded his back for nearly twenty years, the only man he'd ever called friend, and for the first time that he could remember he felt his eyes burning, and didn't even bother hiding the tears as they fell down his cheeks. The kid was that – a kid to him, like a son, a brother, the closest thing to family he'd ever known, and he was gone.


	6. Chapter 6

Trials and Tribulations

I don't own them, Bronwyn Tillman and Daniel Varden are all mine. Most of the rest belong to Marvel Comics – and if there are any that don't – and don't belong to anyone else, I guess they are mine too.

**A/N Ok at one point I realized that Victor Creed has to have some way of laundering all that money he makes on illegal assassination and terrorism, and since the comics have him shown in a more traditional business environment on several occasions, I concocted this whole 'alternate universe' of him in a business world. As far as I know Creed Industries doesn't exist in the Marvel Universe but I think it should.**

**A/N I didn't plan on doing a sequel but something about Daniel and Bronwyn struck me as needing more – along with Bronwyn and Victor, so here it is the sequel to Dictation.**

Chapter 5

"So, are you really happy with Daniel?" Marie asked as she rocked the baby on Bron's bed. Bron and Marie were the last two awake. The others had all gone to sleep watching 'Runaway Bride' for the fifth time.

"Yes. I love him."

"Ya know, ya don't have ta pretend."

"I'm not. Daniel is funny and smart and artistic and everything I've ever wanted." Bron smiled, just thinking about him.

"He just seems so dull ta me."

"Yea well look at who you're married to." Bron said.

"True. How come ya never went fer Creed? I mean he's the money – the brains, as surprising as that is – and he ain't THAT ugly." Marie said.

"He's obnoxious, annoying, demanding, and arrogant and that's just at WORK! He's way too high maintenance for me. I'd end up spending twenty four hours a day seven days a week doing NOTHING but trying to make him happy, and I want some kind of a life for me."

"So that's why you picked Daniel instead – ta have a life for yerself?"

"NO! God that sounds horrible. Victor and I realized we wouldn't work long before I realized that Daniel was anything more than a co-worker and friend. He tried to seduce me, the first week I was working for him. I told him if he didn't stop I'd quit. He decided he needed me more as a secretary than he did as a mistress."

"You never told me that."

"Well, it never came up. Besides, Logan would have a fit."

"And Dan – he what, jest grew on ya?"

"No it was like a ton of bricks when I figured it out, and then he asked me out and…" She shrugged. "He's safe, secure, and I don't have to worry about going through what my mother did when my dad died."

"That's no reason ta get married."

"That's not the reason I'm getting married. I'm getting married because I LOVE him. Marie, you don't have to make me try to second guess things. I've done enough of that over the last year. I love him; I want to be Mrs. Daniel Varden, I want a house in the Hamptons and two point five kids and everything that goes along with it. I LIKE the direction my life is going, I even like my job and that I don't have to give it up to marry him."

"Sorry – Professor Xavier was worried you were doin' this because ya had mixed feelings about Creed. Ah told him he was nuts, but he wanted me ta ask."

"Tell Charles to butt the hell out of my life." Bron said with a laugh. They both knew it would be a cold day in hell before Xavier stopped worrying about even ONE of his kids.

XXXXXXXXXXX

The plane landed in New York and taxied straight to the hanger. Victor was still sitting on the floor, Daniel's head still resting in his lap. His hands were covered in blood and he barely felt the bump as the plane touched down.

"Vic – we're here. We need ta do something." Toad said as he stepped from the cockpit.

"Have my driver bring the car inside. I want to…" He stopped. He didn't know what to do.

"Vic, we need ta do something." Toad grabbed his shoulder but Victor shrugged him off. He had to…his mind couldn't even come up with anything, or rather it could only come up with one thing, and that was the absolute last thing he wanted to do – and the first that he needed to do.

"Have the driver take him to a hospital. Go with them, tell them what happened. If they need me, I'll be…"

"At Bron's?"

"Yeah." He was trembling. He was going to have to rip her heart out, HE was going to have to hurt her, devastate her, destroy her life, and he wanted to scream. He was going to have to hear her, smell her pain, her anger, and probably her hatred for him, and he just couldn't steel himself for it. He'd never done this before, never had to face someone and tell them something like this – certainly not someone he loved. Damn Daniel and making him promise to take care of her. Now he was stuck. He NEVER broke his word, ever – and now he was going to have to live with her hating him the rest of his life.

He made a silent decision to never let her know how he really felt. She was going to hate him, and he was going to take every second of her hate and every ounce of pain she gave him as his penance. He'd gotten Daniel killed – it was his fault, and he would never be able to make up for it, not to her – and not to himself.

The driver came in and he and Toad had to peel his hands away from Daniel's body.

"I called you a cab, but you probably need ta clean up before goin' ta tell her." Toad said with surprising calmness and gentleness.

"No. I did this – I'm going to her with his blood on my hands. She can think what she wants of me, but I killed him, and I will take the blame."

"Vic – it was a damned terrorist that killed him, not you. You tried ta save him. I had ta pull your carcass off of him, and at first I thought ya'd done it, till I saw the blood. Hell I thought YOU were dead – and I KNOW what your mutation does. It was a freak shot, but you didn't kill him."

"No, I took him there, I could have left him at home, but I needed him this one last time, I did this. His blood is on my hands."

"Well when you consider the amount of blood on your hands, his ain't that much." Toad said pragmatically.

"No – his makes all the rest nothing. I killed him – and now I have to tell her. I don't want her hearing it from anyone else. I want to take that blow – and anything else she wants to lay at my feet."

"Vic – you're in shock, surprisingly, but you are. You don't need ta…"

"Shut up and get him to a hospital." He snarled, and forced himself to stand up. He pulled on his overcoat to cover the worst of the blood on his clothes, and stuffed his hands into his pockets. "Pay the cab driver for me, so I don't have to show my hands to anyone but her."

"Right." Toad said shaking his head.

Later he'd never remember the cab ride; he'd only remember standing in front of the door to her building with Logan blocking his path.

"Where the HELL do you think you're going?" Logan snarled at him.

"Upstairs." He really wasn't looking at the Runt, but that the door he was trying to screw up his courage to open.

"Like hell – and who's blood is that? It smells like Varden." Suddenly Logan lashed out, his fist slamming into Victor's face. Victor didn't even flinch…later he'd admit he didn't even feel it.

"I have to tell her." He said spiting out two teeth as his jaw healed.

"Tell her what – you murdered her fiancé?" Logan gripped him by the collar of his overcoat.

"I have to tell her. I tried…"

"What?"

"I have to tell her. I tried…" He said again, and just kept saying it.

XXXXXXXXXX

There was a pounding on the front door and Marie jumped up from where she'd fallen asleep next to the baby to answer it.

"What the hell…" Bron heard her exclaim as she opened the door. "Logan what did you do?"

"It ain't his…not all of it anyway." Bron heard Logan say as he entered the apartment. Then she heard something that sent a chill down her spine. Victor's voice, but it sounded strange, distant. "I have to tell her. I tried…"

"What? What's he saying?" Marie asked as Bron pulled on her robe and walked to the bedroom door. Victor was standing there, swaying, his face covered in blood, his overcoat hanging open, his shirt and suit jacket covered in blood and there was a huge hole in the front of his shirt and jacket right over his heart. Bron felt all the blood drain from her body as she stepped into the living room.

"I have to tell her. I tried…" He said again, before collapsing to the floor in a heap.

"My God what happened?" Kitty said as she jumped up from the couch at the sound of his collapse.

"We don't know." Marie said.

"Logan?"

"Whose blood is that?" Bron asked.

"His – and Daniel's." Logan said softly as if trying to soften the blow.

"No. You're wrong. You have to be wrong." Bron said. She turned to Victor who was still muttering the same words over and over. She pulled her hand back and slapped him across the face. He shook his head and looked up at her, and then roared, and covered his face with his hands.

"WHERE IS DANIEL?" She shouted.

"Dead." He whispered.

"What? What happened?"

"We were getting back onto the plane, to come home. The airport was attacked. It had nothing to do with us – with what we were doing. I heard the shot and pulled him down, but the bullet went through me, under the edge of his vest."

"His VEST – he was wearing a bullet proof vest?" Logan asked.

"Yes. I made him start wearing it right after he and Bron got engaged." Victor said.

"FUCK!"

"Where is HE?"

"I had Toad take him to a hospital – they'll want to see me after the police are called. We were ready for takeoff, and when the bullets started flying, Toad just got us onto the plane and out of there." He shook his head again as if to clear it. "It's all my fault. I took him there, I needed him this last time, and now he's dead." He was kneeling in the middle of her living room, rocking, and all she could do was scream.

Later – she didn't know how much later she woke up in her bed. She didn't remember anything after she started screaming. Logan was sitting on the bed next to her.

"You have some things to apologize for, Bron." He said simply. "I know why you said i, why you did itt; I even understand what you're going through, but…even Creed didn't deserve that."

"I don't even remember what I did." She whispered her voice hoarse. She sat up and pushed her hair back out of her face.

"Before I tell you – you need to take these." He handed her a stack of papers, on top was a note in Daniel's handwriting.

"What's that?"

"When I took Creed back to his place after…after you threw him out, he gave me Daniel's legal papers to give to you."

"Why are you in here - where're the others?"

"They thought I'd be safest if you went ballistic again." He said simply. That's when she noticed the blood on her hands – and her robe.

"What did I do?"

"You tried to carve his heart out." Logan said simply. "With your bare hands."

"Oh my God." She whispered. "What did he do?"

"Sat there and let you, hell he tried to fight me off when I tried to pull you away, and then you threw him out – you quit your job – and told him to go roast in hell." She just shook her head. "I had to knock you out."

She reached a trembling hand toward the top piece of paper on the stack on the bed. She was almost afraid to open it.

**Bronwyn:**

**If you are reading this, then there are some things I need you to do. I wasn't able to ask you – before, but I NEED you to do something for me. Victor's going to need you now, more than ever. I need you to take care of him for me. He's burned out – broken, he just won't admit it. He needs to be human for a while, to let his animal go, and the company gives him that. Don't let him leave, don't let him give up, and whatever you do, don't give up on him. I don't know at what point in our lives you are reading this, but if it's still here, and I haven't destroyed it, then he is still a huge part of our lives. Take care of him, always. **

**I need you to tell him what he meant to me. He was a father, a brother, a friend, a mentor. I love him as all of those things. I guarded his back. I kept his secrets. I helped him build an empire, and I did it all for him.**

**I love you; never doubt that for a second. You brought light into my world; you taught me that love was possible, even for an old fart like me. I will always be with you.**

**Daniel.**

Her tears covered the paper as they fell. Some of them landed on her hands, and Victor's blood was soon staining the letter as well. She looked up at Logan.

"What's the rest?"

"Daniel's will, his power of attorney, a letter detailing what he wanted done with his remains, and all the necessary documentation allowing you to take care of it." Logan said quietly. "The will was filed with the court, so there won't even be any probate. Victor made him take care of it last week."

"Oh my God." She whispered again. "I can't read it. What does it say?"

"Basically, Daniel left you everything. His half of Creed Industries, along with about four other companies he and Victor own jointly. He wasn't Victor's assistant, he was his business partner."

She just stared at the papers and at the letter in her lap.

"I need to go."

"Bron – you are in no shape…"

"I need to go to Victor, to apologize, I don't know everything I said, or did, but he…he didn't deserve it, and he needs me." She climbed off the bed.

"I'll take you." He said simply. She nodded and grabbed a blouse and pants from the closet. He left the room while she cleaned up and got dressed.


	7. Chapter 7

Trials and Tribulations

I don't own them, Bronwyn Tillman and Daniel Varden are all mine. Most of the rest belong to Marvel Comics – and if there are any that don't – and don't belong to anyone else, I guess they are mine too.

**A/N Ok at one point I realized that Victor Creed has to have some way of laundering all that money he makes on illegal assassination and terrorism, and since the comics have him shown in a more traditional business environment on several occasions, I concocted this whole 'alternate universe' of him in a business world. As far as I know Creed Industries doesn't exist in the Marvel Universe but I think it should.**

**A/N I didn't plan on doing a sequel but something about Daniel and Bronwyn struck me as needing more – along with Bronwyn and Victor, so here it is the sequel to Dictation.**

Chapter 7

She stood outside the penthouse door. She'd never been here before. Daniel had always come to her place, and he'd taken care of any personal errands for Victor so she'd never had a reason. The only thing that stopped her from turning around and running away was Logan's presence behind her.

"Don't you dare chicken out – you've made me feel sorry for Creed, damn it." He growled behind her.

She slipped the key into the lock. Daniel had given her one, about a month ago, in case of an emergency. She opened the door and stepped inside. The place was a disaster. Shattered glass, shredded fabric, stuffing and shredded foam everywhere, twisted pieces of metal and splintered pieces of wood scattered across the floor. They both heard a crash from the back of the unit and ran quickly toward the sound.

They found him crumpled, dust and debris from the destruction covering him.

"What do you want?" He snarled at Logan, not even seeing her.

"Bron has something she wants to say." Logan said, and stepped out of the room leaving them alone – sort of. The ghost in the room was bigger than both of them.

"He left me a note." She said simply.

"I'm dead to you, remember." He snarled.

"No, I don't. I don't remember a thing." She whispered.

He turned his head and looked at her, really looked at her.

"What do you want?"

"I'm sorry."

"What?"

"Logan told me some of the things I did, I said…and I'm sorry. He loved you, you are his best friend, and I didn't realize it. I think I KNEW I just didn't realize. I know you'd never hurt him intentionally. I know you didn't do this. I wanted you to hurt as much as I did, and I didn't know that you were already hurting worse."

"Does that mean you're not quitting?"

"Yeah." She quipped.

"Good – someone's going to have to oversee the dismantling of everything." He said coldly.

"No – he told me not to let you quit – and I won't."

"I can't do it without him."

"Yes you can."

"NO! Don't you get it…?" He surged forward grabbing her by both arms and shaking her like a rag doll. "He was the one behind everything, it was all his idea. I just signed papers."

"Bullshit. You two were partners, equal partners. You put as much work – as much thought – as much heart into this as he did, and I'm not going to let you give up on it – on HIM!" She shouted.

"I'm not CAPABLE of it." He shouted back.

"Victor Creed you are capable of anything you put that damned sick twisted mind of yours to doing, don't give me that. I KNOW how capable you are, I work with you every day. Pull your selfish self centered ego out of your ass and do SOMETHING in your life for someone else for a change." He just stared at her, stunned.

"You have no idea…"

"Shut up – we have a funeral to plan…You're the only family he had, so by GOD you WILL be there, or I don't care where you go, what you do, I will track you down and drag you back here." She didn't know where the steel came from, standing up to him like this, but he was Daniel's best friend, his only family, and she wasn't going to let him walk away.

"I wasn't his family." He said simply.

She handed him the note. "Read that – and tell me you weren't his family." She said simply.

He took the tear and bloodstained piece of paper from her and turned his back as he read it.

"DAMN YOU!" He roared at the wall and his entire frame trembled before he collapsed again.

"I'll leave you alone." She whispered and turned toward the wrecked door.

"No…he made me promise…made me give him my word, that I'd take care of you."

"Right now we need to take care of him." She said simply. "I've done this before, or at least helped."

"What?"

"When my father died; we need to find out where they are sending him after the autopsy, He has a plot out in Westchester in a cemetery out there that he bought years ago. We need to find a funeral home, make the arrangements. Write an obituary, and you knew him better than I did."

"What are you talking about – he's dead."

"Yes – but life has to go on." He looked at her, blood in his eyes for a second, before they filled with tears again.

"I can't."

"You can and you will. Now I need your help to get this done. So for his sake – for my sake, please pull yourself together and help me." She held out a hand to him. He looked at it as if it were a snake, and just walked past her and out the door of the room.

"The first thing I need you to do, Bron is get me a hotel room. I'm not coming back here, ever again."

"Alright."

"You and the Runt can clean his things out when you feel you are ready, and then I want to sell it. I don't want anything to remind me of him." He snarled.

"Victor, he was your friend, you will always remember him." She said. Logan was leaning against the front door as they walked back into the living room; he just shook his head at her and stepped out the front door.

"You don't get it. I've never done this – never given a rat's ass about anyone before, and he went and died on me." He snarled.

"Oh, and I'm chopped liver. He died on me too – remember. I'm the one with a dress and a church booked for next Saturday, REMEMBER!" She shouted at him. He turned on her with a snarl, his claws out, fangs flashing and for the first time since she'd worked for him, she saw Sabretooth.

"Go ahead…" She said. "Kill me – then you can bury us both together."

The rage drained out of him. She didn't know why, she didn't care, but suddenly he was just a man – a man in pain, the monster locked back up.

"No – I promised I'd take care of you."

"Okay – I'll get you a hotel room, get a cleaning crew in here to clean up this mess, make any repairs that need to be made, and then after we get the funeral done, we'll clean his things out, and get the penthouse on the market." She said simply.

"Thanks." She walked over to the kitchen, where the phone was still connected to the wall and made some phone calls.

"You should pack some things." She said simply.

"I can't, I need to get out of here."

"Fine – I'll pack some things for you." She started back toward the back of the penthouse.

"NO!" He roared. Logan slammed the door open, and growled. "Runt, come with me. Bron you take care of – just stay up here." Victor snarled. He and Logan walked back toward the back of the unit again.

XXXXXXXXX

"Why the fuck don't you want her…OH!" Logan just stopped in the door. Victor snarled at him, and tried not to look at the painting on the wall. It was a portrait of Bronwyn; he'd commissioned it a few months ago. He'd planned on giving it to Daniel, but he just couldn't get himself to that point.

"I love her." He said simply, and pulled a bag from the closet and started throwing clothes into it. "Do me a favor, move it into Daniel's room before she goes in there. I don't want her to know."

"She's a fucking empath, Creed, she'll figure it out."

"She's a class one, she has to touch you to read you, and the only thing she's picked up off of me today is grief, and I'm never touching her again." He snarled.

"What the fuck – this is just sick." Logan muttered as he hauled the painting down from the wall and slipped it across the hallway to Daniel's room.

Victor continued to pack, not really caring what he threw into the bag. He remembered his safe, and was opening it when Logan came back.

"I was going to give her this for the wedding." He muttered as he dropped the green box containing the jade he'd loaned her once before into the bag he was loading the safe into.

"Damn it Creed, why'd you do it?"

"What? Kill him, I didn't…I did, I didn't pull the trigger, but I killed him by taking him with me. I needed him for the job, I just didn't trust the new kid with my back"

"No – let her fall in love with him." He glared at Logan, then shook his head. It didn't matter anymore, the Runt knew his secret.

"By the time I realized I was in love with her – he was too. You didn't see how his face lit up every time he mentioned her name. I'd already decided I needed her brain – her skills – more than I needed her body, and I wasn't going to do anything to screw that up. By the time I realized I needed all of her – her heart was his." He paused in his empting of the safe to look at Logan.

"What would you have done, if Rogue loved someone else?"

"The same thing – stepped aside and let her have a chance at a normal life, with a normal guy." Logan said. "I did, until the damned Gumbo screwed up, and then, I couldn't see her hurting anymore, so I told her how I felt. It didn't help at first, and Remy's not dead, but she got over him, in time, and we aren't the most peaceful couple in the world, but I'd do anything for her, even be nice to YOU!"

"I was wondering." Victor glanced at his nemesis. He'd been wondering when the other shoe would drop, and now he knew – it wouldn't, because ROGUE told Logan to be nice.

"What are you going to do?"

"What I promised I'd do. Take care of her. She'll never want for anything, Daniel took care of that. Legally she's now my partner in the business, so I guess I'll have to promote her. I'll keep her safe, make sure she is able to get on with her life, and hope to God that someday she finds someone else to love like that."

"Even if it is you?"

"No, it will NEVER be me." He slammed the empty safe and picked up the bag. Logan grabbed the one with his clothes in it, and he followed the Runt back to the front of the penthouse.


	8. Chapter 8

Trials and Tribulations

I don't own them, Bronwyn Tillman and Daniel Varden are all mine. Most of the rest belong to Marvel Comics – and if there are any that don't – and don't belong to anyone else, I guess they are mine too.

**A/N Ok at one point I realized that Victor Creed has to have some way of laundering all that money he makes on illegal assassination and terrorism, and since the comics have him shown in a more traditional business environment on several occasions, I concocted this whole 'alternate universe' of him in a business world. As far as I know Creed Industries doesn't exist in the Marvel Universe but I think it should.**

**A/N I didn't plan on doing a sequel but something about Daniel and Bronwyn struck me as needing more – along with Bronwyn and Victor, so here it is the sequel to Dictation.**

Chapter 8

The next week was a nightmare. Victor was arrested for Daniel's death, and only the intervention of the actual Greek government kept him out of jail. Bron had to fight with reporters, and police and even Logan and the rest of the X-Men who tried to convince her to move back to the mansion. The one bright spot was that the bid on the house had been accepted, and she fell in love with it the moment she stepped foot inside. She made arrangements to go ahead and buy the house, Daniel had picked it out for her, and she wasn't going to let his gift go unappreciated.

She'd spent a night in the police station herself. They'd tried to accuse her of conspiring to kill Daniel, but as soon as the charges against Victor were dropped, they had to drop the charges against her. The police even had to issue a public apology to both of them when the press managed to get their hands on the surveillance tape from the airport in Athens. It clearly showed Victor taking the bullet that was aimed at Daniel. Even the police couldn't argue that there was any evidence that indicated Victor planned any of it.

He hadn't spoken to her much, since they were released. The body was released for the funeral. She'd wanted to go ahead and use the church, since they already had it booked, but Victor screamed and roared and then finally pleaded that he didn't want Daniel buried on his wedding day in the church where he was supposed to be married. They'd had a quiet ceremony on the Friday before, and she spent Saturday in bed, alone.

She was standing in front of the elevator, Monday morning, to go up to her office, when Mr. Anderson from Personnel saw her.

"Miss Tillman, you shouldn't be here. Go home."

"No – I have work to do." She said quietly as the elevator opened. She pressed the button for the top floor, and watched as his stunned face was shut out by the closing doors.

She dropped her purse under her desk and glanced over at Jimmy sitting at Daniel's desk.

"He called and said he'd be in at nine." Jimmy said softly. "I am so sorry."

"Thank you Jimmy, I'll make sure his coffee is ready." She smiled and walked to the coffee pot.

"He said you aren't to do that anymore. He wants to see you first thing when he gets in, something about there being a reason for two desks out here." It was then she noticed the change. Instead of double glass and brass doors leading into his office the entire back wall had been redone. There were now two sets of doors.

"Bronwyn in my office – NOW!" He roared behind her and she looked back over her shoulder at him in confusion.

"The one on the right." He grumbled. She grabbed a notepad and followed him into his office.

"Put that down. You need to hire your own assistant – or secretary, whatever you decide you need. The other office is yours."

"What?"

"You're my partner, remember. I'm tired of playing this as a one man show. You are just as damned responsible for this corporation as I am, so quit playing secretary, miss 'Bachelor's degree in Business Administration,' it's time to put that degree of yours to work."

She glared at him, and took a sniff of the air around him. He wasn't drunk, that she could tell.

"You are insane."

"No – I know what I'm capable of, thanks to you, and I'm going to do it, because we have a payroll of three thousand people that are counting on us to pull ourselves together out of this. So SIT DOWN!" He pointed to the single chair in front of his desk. "And we'll get started."

"Firstly, I think we should change the name of the company." He started.

"I don't." She said. "You and Daniel built this, making major changes will just disrupt things. Leave it alone."

"Disrupt what?"

"Printing cost just to change all the letterhead in the building would be exorbitant, just for starters." He snarled – but finally agreed with her. The rest of the morning was spent arguing with him, until they settled into a tentative truce before lunch.

"I've asked Logan to come help me clean out Daniel's things from the penthouse; we can get it on the market next week." She said before she left to go to lunch. He just nodded. "Are you going to continue to stay in the hotel, or are you looking for someplace else?"

"I don't know."

"I'm closing on the house next week; they expedited it since I decided to pay cash instead of financing. You are welcome to stay with me for a while. It's certainly big enough."

"NO! I'll think of something." He snarled. She just nodded. She'd considered the offer for quite a while before making it. She knew how it would look, but she just didn't want him to be alone right now. She was actually taking this better than he was.

"Go meet your friends for lunch." He said softly as she walked out the door.

XXXXXXXXXX

She'd offered to let him move in with her. He knew how she meant it, but the offer still stuck in the back of his throat. She belonged to Daniel, she would never be his. He suddenly realized exactly what she was doing; she was taking care of HIM! Well he was going to change that. He glanced at the piece of paper on his desk, it was one of those damned fund raisers again, and this time he was going alone. Maybe he'd let a shark bite him.

He called Jimmy into his office and had him send the RSVP, for one.

He spent the afternoon going over the balance sheets from accounting, and dealing with the legal department and getting everything changed over into her name from Daniel's. If she wanted him to do this, to keep going, she was going to be right there beside him.

He could hear her in her office. He'd told her she had to hire a secretary, and she'd done it at lunch – and an X-Man to boot. Bronwyn was going to be the death of him yet, and if that damned firecracker popped her gum at him one more time he was going to rip her to shreds. He stormed out of the office at five thirty, down to the ground floor and took a cab to the hotel. He needed to get dressed for the damned dinner tonight.

He pulled on his tuxedo jacket and glared at the tie on the dresser. He STILL couldn't tie one. He grumbled, and pulled the jacket off. It wouldn't be the first time they'd been stood up. He glared at himself in the mirror. He needed to get on with things. He was startled by a knock on the door.

"I didn't order…"

"You still can't tie a bow tie, can you?" Bronwyn said. She was standing there in a black evening gown.

"What are you…?"

"I got the same invite, Jimmy told me you were RSVPing, so I decided to go, keep the sharks away."

"I don't want to keep the sharks away." He snarled.

"Whatever – I'm looking out for my business partner, making sure he doesn't run our company into the ground."

"Like hell…you didn't want me to go without you."

"I know you can't tie a tie."

"Bronwyn, this isn't a good idea. It's about as good an idea as me moving into the house Daniel bought you."

"He didn't BUY it, he picked it out, I bought it."

"Why are you doing this?"

"Because YOU don't need to be doing this – not now."

"Bronwyn…"

"Either we go together – or neither of us go."

"Tie this thing – will ya." He grumbled, concentrating on how annoyed he was, how frustrated with her, until her hands left his neck.

"There, all done."

"Thanks."

"I didn't know I was that annoying. You're the high maintenance one."

"Ha ha ha." He glared at her, and suddenly didn't want to go.

"I changed my mind."

"Me too."

"I'll see you tomorrow at the office." He said as he closed the door behind her. He untied the tie and stripped out of the tuxedo. He wasn't ready to deal with this. It had taken every ounce of control not to grab her as she tied his tie. She'd been so beautiful in that dress, pale, like she'd been since he'd told her, but beautiful.

The next few months were better. She started laughing again, the first time he heard her laugh in the office he thought his heart would burst. And then came the day when she wasn't laughing alone, and his heart constricted in his chest. She was with a man, and he'd only ever heard her laugh like that with Daniel.

He stood up from his desk and walked out of his office. She was standing at the elevator, facing his office. He could see the smile – and the light in her eyes. He couldn't see the man she was talking to, his back was to him, but from the hand tailored cut of his suit, he wasn't a sleaze.

"Thanks again, Mr. Stark, I look forward to seeing you again." She said as Victor walked up. "Have you met my partner, Mr. Creed?"

Tony turned around and smiled, but Victor saw the hard glint in his eyes. "We've met."

"Tony, nice to see you, I'm not sure that Creed Industries can do anything to help the Stark Empire, but we'd be glad to bid for your account."

"Creed Industries has something that at least one Stark is very interested in." Tony said, as the elevator door opened. "I'll see you tonight, Bronwyn."

"What was that about?" Victor asked after he left.

"He asked me to that fund raiser, you know the one at the Museum."

"Oh." Victor turned away so she wouldn't see the stark anger on his face. He wasn't going to let her become a notch on Tony Stark's bedpost, even if he was glad to hear her laughing again.

"I told him I have a standing date for that, but if you aren't going…"

"What?"

"You've insisted I go to that thing with you for the last two years. I just assumed we were going this year, I already reserved our seats."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Are you changing here – or going out to the house?"

"I have my dress in my office."

"I have a spare tux in mine – but I'll need someone to tie my tie."

"I never had any doubts."

Jimmy ordered them dinner, and they ate in his office before getting dressed for the dinner. He was more relaxed with her than he'd been in over a year.

He was steeling himself for her to tie his tie, hiding his emotions for her behind annoyance at the annual event, when she stepped into his office and took his breath away. She was wearing green, almost a tradition since the first time. This was a simple satin dress that clung in just the right – for him wrong – way, and he knew if she touched him she'd know exactly how he felt.

"I think I can get this. I'll meet you down at the car."

"Don't be silly, Victor. You could probably fight your way out of any situation, in the boardroom you are unstoppable, but you couldn't tie a bow tie if your life depended on it."

She had no idea that his life was depending on him being able to do this without her.

"I've got it, go on."

"Victor don't…" She reached up to slap his hands away, and stopped. "Oh God!"

"Bron…" He stepped back, away from her, and suddenly wanted to run, wanted to find a deep dark hole and hide in it.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Don't…just go." Her eyes were accusing.

"How long?"

"Bron, don't do this." He said.

"Victor, this isn't just…"

"I SAID DON'T!" He roared at her.

"Victor I'm not moving until we discuss this. YOU are in pain – every day, because of this, why would you put yourself through this. I've given you a hundred chances to buy me out, to let me go."

"I LOVE YOU, DAMN IT!"

"I know."

"No – you don't." He said, and forced his way past her. He was punching the button on the elevator when her hand gripped his arm. He tried to think of anything – anything but her scent, the feel of her hand on his arm, the absolute horror of telling her his secret.

"Victor, we have to discuss this."

"There's nothing to discuss."

"Victor, please."

He closed his eyes, and that was a mistake, all his senses were hyper aware of her, he could hear her heart, smell her confusion, hear the brush of the satin against her skin; her scent clung to the back of his throat until he could almost taste her. The heat of her hand on the arm of his jacket bled through, warming his whole body.

"I can't do this, Bronwyn."

"Why not."

"You love Daniel."

"I do – but he's dead."

"Bron, please, don't."

"Victor, how long – how long have you felt this way?"

"You don't want to know, Bron, just let it go, let me go." His chest was constricting, if he hadn't had a healing factor he'd have thought he was having a heart attack.

"No."

"DAMN IT!" He turned on her, grabbing her, one hand tangled in her hair, the other at the small of her back, forcing her body against his chest as he consumed her mouth. "Every day for two years Bron, every day I've gone through this."

She was stunned, he could tell, but it didn't stop him from kissing her again. She tasted as sweet as he remembered, from the limo two years ago.

"Victor, stop." She said, and her voice made it through to his fogged brain.

"I'm sorry." He whispered letting her go. She reached up and straightened her hair.

"Now do you want me to tie that tie, so we can go to this thing?"

"What?"

"Victor, you are being given an award tonight, I thought you might actually like to go."

"How can you just…"

"Do you honestly think I didn't know? I'm an EMPATH for crying out loud. I knew you loved me, you've managed to hide the pain well, this was the first time I've picked that up. Now am I tying that tie, or are you going to slink off into the darkness and make me track you down?"

He held up his hands in surrender, and let her tie the tie. They'd deal with this after the dinner; somehow, he would just have to adjust to her knowing, because there was no way in hell he was going to back out on his promise to Daniel.


	9. Chapter 9

Trials and Tribulations

I don't own them, Bronwyn Tillman and Daniel Varden are all mine. Most of the rest belong to Marvel Comics – and if there are any that don't – and don't belong to anyone else, I guess they are mine too.

**A/N Ok at one point I realized that Victor Creed has to have some way of laundering all that money he makes on illegal assassination and terrorism, and since the comics have him shown in a more traditional business environment on several occasions, I concocted this whole 'alternate universe' of him in a business world. As far as I know Creed Industries doesn't exist in the Marvel Universe but I think it should.**

**A/N I didn't plan on doing a sequel but something about Daniel and Bronwyn struck me as needing more – along with Bronwyn and Victor, so here it is the sequel to Dictation.**

**A/N This isn't exactly the end – I have to bring Victor full circle, so look for the sequel soon.**

Chapter 9

She stared out the window in her office. He'd been distant since the dinner, like he was after Daniel's death and she was afraid she was losing him to the animal again. Daniel would kill her if she lost him, but she just couldn't bring herself to let him replace Daniel in her heart. She'd known for years how he felt, but as long as he kept things professional, she did too. He'd said it would keep them honest, and it had.

She'd known since the limo, since that first fund raiser. She'd been afraid, then, of his feelings, of what he'd made her feel. He'd been Sabretooth, the enemy of her friends, her boss, and nothing more. She hadn't wanted him to be anything more, she'd just wanted the job, and nothing else had mattered at the time.

She'd figured he'd get over it, and when he and Daniel left that first time, she'd pretended she hadn't felt it at all. By the time she felt it again, the day he'd shaken her hand after accepting Daniel's proposal, she had been afraid. She loved Daniel, and she knew if she acknowledged how Victor felt, it would create a wedge between them, so she'd kept her silence, and her distance.

The next time she'd felt it had been in the penthouse, when he was shaking her, she'd felt him fighting the animal then, and his feelings for her had been what made the man win. She'd been in so much pain herself she'd just filed it away. She'd avoided touching him, not ready to deal with it. Then the pain, that night, before the dinner, she hated that she was the cause of so much pain.

She wouldn't blame him if he ran, if he gave it all up and went back to what he was. She'd hurt him enough, she almost wished he would, because knowing she was the cause of his pain was tearing her up. She cared about him, more now than before; he was Daniel's best friend, something she hadn't realized at the time, but she didn't think she was in love with him. She kept telling herself she wasn't in love with him. What she felt for him was nothing like what she'd felt for Daniel.

Daniel had been safe; he'd been solid, dependable, and secure. Victor was NONE of those things. What she felt for Daniel was gentle, peaceful, without strife or pain. It was something you could build a life on, something you could raise a family on, something that would see you to old age and beyond. What she felt for Victor wasn't any of those things. It was hard, demanding, it ripped through her and left her bleeding it its wake. It was destructive, painful, and overwhelming.

She had never denied the physical connection between them, if he hadn't been her boss, and she hadn't been so scared that first time, she might have followed it, seen where it would go, but now, with so much baggage she was afraid, afraid of losing him for good. Her therapist said she needed to examine her feelings closely, that she relied on him, and cared about him in a way that went beyond friendship.

She'd come to depend on him, on his strength, his drive, his raw need to get her through the day, sometimes through the hour, at first. He had been the one to make her smile, the one to make her angry, to force her to use that to keep going, She was getting better, healing, putting Daniel behind her, day by day, but now with this, the one person she depended on, the one who could talk to her about him, make her laugh with remembered stories, was pulling further and further away.

She started as the phone rang, pulling her out of her musings.

"Bronwyn Tillman." She said into the phone.

"Hey Bron, its Jubes. You busy?"

"Not really." She laughed at her former secretary. She'd done it to piss Victor off, to show him that she meant business, and Jubes had agreed, for a couple days until she could find a real secretary. The woman she had now was competent, quiet and certainly no temptation for Victor.

"Man have I got a scoop for you."

"Jubes, what's going on?"

"You knew Kitty and Peter Parker broke up, right?"

"Yeah – I remember something about his ex and Kitty not getting along."

"Well – she moved back into the mansion. None of us thought anything about it you know, until Pete got back from Russia, now they are like – I don't know – joined at the hip or something, literally since Kitty just found out she's preggers."

"Kitty's pregnant?"

"Yep – what with little Maddie Howlett, Jean and Scott expecting, and now Kitty, it's turning into a regular nursery around here. Now they are giving me fits about when I'm gonna settle down and have a kid." Jubilee groaned.

"Don't rush, Jubes." Bron said, but she was fighting a lump in her throat, and a fist clenching her heart.

"Are you alright, chica?"

"Yeah – I'm fine." Jubilee filled her in on all the rest of the gossip from the mansion before hanging up with a "Catch ya later, Chica."

She held it in. She didn't know if Victor was back from his morning meeting and she didn't want to upset him with her tears. She made it to lunch, went down to the cafeteria and brought it back to her office. She'd seen him leave with Jimmy, so she knew she was safe.

She let the tears fall; Daniel had been dead almost eight months. She had been hoping, about this time to have news like that of her own, and now she didn't think she would ever get the chance. She bit her knuckle to muffle the sobs so her secretary wouldn't hear. She had to pull herself together before…

XXXXXXXXX

He could smell her – hear her muffled sobs. He'd gone down with Jimmy but realized he'd left some papers on his desk. He'd told the kid to go on to lunch he'd meet him after, and headed back up. At first he thought she was gone, but then he caught the scent of her lunch and knew she was eating at her desk – again. She was worse than he was, never left the office; she practically lived here, only going home to sleep.

He'd grabbed the papers and was heading out the door when the scent of her tears hit him, and the muffled sobs. He wasn't going to take this. Something was wrong, and by God she was going to talk to him about it. He stormed out of his office and into hers without even glancing at her secretary for permission.

"What the hell is wrong now?" He demanded. He knew it was probably the wrong approach, but he had to keep her at a distance, had to keep the anger between them or he would break, and he honestly didn't think he could survive this time. He was on the edge, holding onto his humanity by the tips of his claws, and they were slipping a bit every day. Sabretooth was winning, and he didn't ever want to let that animal out around her.

"Nothing; Jubilee called this morning."

He dropped into the chair in front of her desk. "What did the firecracker want?" He growled.

"Just to catch me up on gossip." She tried to smile, but it just didn't work.

"And that set you off?"

"Kitty's pregnant."

"ShadowCat is pregnant? By WHO!? I thought she was dating Parker?"

"She was, they broke up, and she moved back to the mansion and she and Pete got back together and now she's pregnant." She couldn't believe she was gossiping about the X-Men with him.

"Wow – ShadowCat and Colossus, parents, that's weird." He chuckled.

"Yeah."

"So what's with the waterworks?"

She glared at him – not sure she wanted to discuss something so personal with him, and realized, she didn't have anyone else she'd rather discuss it with.

"I just had hoped I'd be the one with that news about now." She said softly.

"Oh – damn – Bron…"

"It's nothing, I'll be fine."

"I had no idea you wanted a baby."

"I told Marie – the night…that night, before you got there, that I wanted it all, the house in the Hamptons, the two point five kids, and all the headaches that went with it. I got the house, but I don't have the rest." She whispered, and closed her eyes.

He couldn't stand it anymore. He walked around the desk and roughly pulled her into his arms. He felt her shoulders shake, her body tremble, and knew he would be changing his shirt before his afternoon meeting. He patted her awkwardly on the back, and then just started rubbing lazy circles through her shirt, and was rewarded by her relaxing against him, her fingers slipping from their grip in his shirt to just lay against his chest.

"Bronwyn." He whispered against her hair. "Your life isn't over. You can still find someone, still have it all."

"I don't want to find someone – I have…" She stopped herself.

"You have?" He froze. She'd found someone. He felt his claws slipping just a little more. He felt her backbone stiffen, and knew she was about to tell him something he didn't want to hear.

"I have someone, he's just an idiot." She whispered against his shirt.

"Want me to kick his ass for you – make him wise up?" He said, half meaning it. If she'd fallen in love again, and the guy was jerking her around, he'd kill him.

"That would be kinda hard to do." She laughed.

"He can't be that tough." Victor said, letting his hands slip down to her waist as he prepared to push her away from him. This hadn't hurt, until now, and now the pain was almost more than he could bear.

"Well – he's probably more than you can handle." She said looking up at him. "You seem to be losing."

"What?"

"Victor – I love you." His world just stopped. He couldn't breathe, and he felt those claws get a good grip, and start climbing back up that cliff.

"What?"

"I love you."

"Bronwyn, don't…don't try to replace Daniel with me." He said it softly; afraid that was what she was doing.

"Hey, you know this empathy of mine – it goes both ways, but you have to let me in." She said, and he realized exactly what she was saying. She wanted to show him exactly how she felt, and he was terrified.

"No – I don't need that, I love you. I guess I am an idiot, but I'm not stupid. This is too soon, for either of us, but…"

"But?"

"I'm not going to break my word to Daniel, I said I'd take care of you, and I will."

"Victor."

"You want a baby – well, I'm not saying no."

She laughed. "I didn't mean right this second, jerk."

"I know, I just, when you're ready, I'd like to…"

"To what."

"Book a church, maybe get you knocked up, not necessarily in that order, and maybe even settle down in the Hamptons."

"That is the WORST proposal I've ever heard." She laughed.

"What the fuck did you expect?"

"I have NO idea."

"Is that a yes?"

'It's an I'll think about it. Don't you have a meeting this afternoon – go change your shirt? Who needs a kid – I have you to raise?"

He grinned at her, and his heart didn't ache for the first time in a long time. She'd think about it. He couldn't ask for much more.

XXXXXXXXXXX

He slipped out of her office, a stupid grin on his face. She couldn't believe him, he'd actually proposed, probably the absolute worst proposal she'd ever heard of, short of Logan's 'Wipe the blood off and put it on, damn it' when he'd asked Marie to marry him.

She looked out the window, a smile on her face. She loved him; her therapist would be pleased she'd finally admitted it. She just didn't know if she could marry him. He was Victor Creed, pure confidence, violence, and raw energy bottled up in one very big package, and she just didn't know if she had the strength to live with that day in and day out.

Not that she wasn't, practically, but…she'd think about it. She wasn't jumping into anything, especially not with Sabretooth lurking in the shadows.

The next few months went by quietly. He didn't press, didn't push, much, for him.

"Made up your mind yet?" He'd say every evening before he left, and she'd laugh and say "Still thinking."

It became a joke, one they both laughed about, in spite of the very serious issue at the heart of the question. He was getting stronger, day by day, with fewer outbursts, less darkness glaring out of his eyes. He was almost back to where he was before Daniel died, almost had the beast in the box again.

One evening he didn't stick his head in. She got worried.

"Jimmy – where's Victor?"

"He had a meeting with Tony Stark this afternoon, hasn't made it back yet."

"Was it at Mr. Stark's office, or his house?"

"Office I think, let me check…yeah, office."

"Alright, I'm going over there to check on him." She said, a cold fist gripping her chest. The elevator dinged just as she got there, and he stepped out. He was a little ruffled, and she spotted a few drops of blood on his shirt.

"IN MY OFFICE, NOW!" She shouted at him.

"What?

"I SAID NOW!" He just glared at her and walked into her office.

"What the fuck is your problem?" He snapped.

"Blood? You are WORKING again, aren't you? Sabretooth is loose?"

"NO! Bron it's not what you think. I went to meet Tony and he challenged me to a boxing match. He was trying out one of his new 'inventions' and wanted to test it against me. The blood's mine."

"If I call Tony he'll confirm this?"

"Yes. Why the fuck do you care anyway?"

"Because I'm NOT marrying Sabretooth!" She shouted back.

"What?"

"You have to promise me – the animal won't mess things up for us. I don't want to sit up at night worrying; I don't want to turn into my mother." She said quietly.

"That's what's been holding you back?"

"Yes."

"You have my word. Sabretooth is buried – deep. I'm retired, and I don't want to go back to that, not if I have a chance at a life with you."

"I have your word."

"Yes."

"Then you have mine."

"Is that a yes?"

"Yes you idiot."

She watched the grin spread across his face, before being swept up into his arms. He spun her around, before kissing her deeply.

"So – can we get started on that kid?" He whispered.

"Are you coming home for dinner?"

"Home?"

"I already have the house in the Hamptons."

"Yeah – I'm coming home."


End file.
